Preview of Sacred 2: Fallen Angel
Sacred 2: Fallen Angel
by Rick WallaceFebruary 26, 2009
The 4th installment of our region feature takes us to the Seraphim Region. Be sure to check back tomorrow for the 5th and final installment, and also head on out and preorder your copy of Sacred 2: Fallen Angel today.
Seraphim Region
To the north of the icy shores of the Human and Orc lands, across a sea studded with icebergs and filled with the flashing fangs of deadly sea life, lies Serra Island. As a traveller approaches it, its main volcanic peak rises through the thick mists created from the collision of harsh cold and rock-splitting heat. From that central spire, the island levels off across ice-encrusted rocky terrain, occasionally rising sharply due to a jagged mountain here or a craggy spine of hills there. Except for the volcano itself, the land is gripped by a sheen of ice, which manages to reign supreme here despite the heat nearby and thanks to the constant below-freezing northern winds.
Perhaps the most inhospitable terrain known on Ancaria, Serra Island has been chosen as the home by a race exactly for that reason. Those that dwell here wish for visitors even less than they wish for contact with the outside world. The race here is the Seraphim, and their surroundings reflect their mind-set; they are not interested in anything that has to do with the world except insofar as it affects them directly. Once the keepers of T-Energy, the Seraphim have long since slid from the grace of the Great Creator, but there is still a flicker of defiance in them. Despite their situation, they still consider themselves keepers of this mystical force, although in reality this is little more than being in name only.
The Seraphim were once a highly-organized hierarchical society centered on a militaristic way of life; their lifelong training in the way of the weapon made them the most formidable fighters in all of Ancaria. It was considered to be a natural extension of their supreme responsibility for the guardianship of T-Energy. It was also partially a cause of their downfall.
Being at the top of the warrior chain, so to speak, for so long, made it easy to lapse into a sense of security. Indeed, the Seraphim began to like their luxuries a bit more, and a bit more, as endless time slipped by. Custodianship of T-Energy was eventually partially slipped to the High Elves, due to a number of factors; mainly, the High Elves recognized the Seraphim's sloven lust for comfort and their underlying vanity, which played into their manipulative hands perfectly.
Most Seraphim failed to recognize the danger inherent in sharing power with a 'lower race.' They remained secluded in their bases, more and more becoming centerpieces of base decadence. Their responsibilities to Ancaria became more and more of a burden to most, to the point where their frustration with the creatures of the land overcame their need for direct luxury, and almost as one they migrated far north to Serra Island to remove themselves from the demands to the south.
The Seraphim now live in a way that mocks their earlier lives; what once was a relatively social society has splintered into individual Seraphim carving luxurious villas for themselves out of the inhospitable terrain, using the volcanic heat to keep their homes warm. Each Seraphim villa usually has a collection of huts and other structures surrounding it, which hold their servants. Few ever escape this lifestyle, as there is no means to leave, and no way to survive the harsh environment; besides, their lot isn't exactly slavery, and compared to the rest of Ancaria, the servants of the Seraphim live quite well.
A few Seraphim still wander the lands of Ancaria, having not let go of their ancestor's pledges. Their numbers were once impressive, but more and more have left for Serra Island as of late, overwhelmed by the needs of those living in the southern continent. Those that remain are sometimes torn and cast longing eyes to the north, but remain rooted due to an inherent need to do 'what's right' in their mind.
What's right equates to dispensing justice and righting wrongs, as the guilt of letting the guardianship of T-Energy slip away is too much to bear. These few feel righteous deeds in the service of the greater good might clear their name and make up for the slovenly behavior of their now-distant brothers and sisters.
